Today's Earworm- Candle, Vast
Feeling kind of chilled today. I made a special effort to get some extra sleep and now I'm quite laid back.
The Mac virus is spreading, there are iBooks and iPods popping up all over.
I think I got the first iPod here, so maybe I'm partially responsible. :)
22.12.04
20.12.04
Wired for sound
Today's Earworm- Candle - VAST
Had a Coles/Myer voucher. Needed 'phones that would block out surrounding office noise (often including ape-like pounding on keyboards and hard surfaces.).
I had the option of some sort of Sony cans, but I'm sort of anti-Sony outside of picture tubes... and my phone, come to think of it....
I think Sony sound gear is a bit overpriced and overrated, anyway.
So I wanted Sennheiser 202s or 212 pros . No such luck. It's Sony, Koss, or nothing at Myer.
So I saw the Koss Ur10's, and grabbed them. They're $30 Au, enclosed, padded enclosures, cheap plastic fake-silver finish, etc. All I needed were enclosed phones so I could maintain my sanity by tuning out the background noise.
Here comes the surprise - they're pretty good. They sounded a bit muffled at first but they seem to be getting better. They're clear, they don't distort, ambient noise is blocked. Metal strings sound great. Bass isn't overly boomy. Not overly bright. For some reason vocals sound a bit thin, but nothing too horrible.
In conclusion - better than Podphones (not hard!), they're cheap, co-werkers are muffled to a dull hooting, and I can't hear keyhits at all, even my own.
Disclaimers - I probably have tin ears. I've listened to stupidly expensive sound systems and my only reaction has been 'that's up awfully loud, isn't it'.
Also, I have small ears. I wouldn't recommend these phones for an average-to-large guy. Try them on if you can, which you probably can't as they're too cheap to hang on the 'headphone tree' at your local audio store.
Had a Coles/Myer voucher. Needed 'phones that would block out surrounding office noise (often including ape-like pounding on keyboards and hard surfaces.).
I had the option of some sort of Sony cans, but I'm sort of anti-Sony outside of picture tubes... and my phone, come to think of it....
I think Sony sound gear is a bit overpriced and overrated, anyway.
So I wanted Sennheiser 202s or 212 pros . No such luck. It's Sony, Koss, or nothing at Myer.
So I saw the Koss Ur10's, and grabbed them. They're $30 Au, enclosed, padded enclosures, cheap plastic fake-silver finish, etc. All I needed were enclosed phones so I could maintain my sanity by tuning out the background noise.
Here comes the surprise - they're pretty good. They sounded a bit muffled at first but they seem to be getting better. They're clear, they don't distort, ambient noise is blocked. Metal strings sound great. Bass isn't overly boomy. Not overly bright. For some reason vocals sound a bit thin, but nothing too horrible.
In conclusion - better than Podphones (not hard!), they're cheap, co-werkers are muffled to a dull hooting, and I can't hear keyhits at all, even my own.
Disclaimers - I probably have tin ears. I've listened to stupidly expensive sound systems and my only reaction has been 'that's up awfully loud, isn't it'.
Also, I have small ears. I wouldn't recommend these phones for an average-to-large guy. Try them on if you can, which you probably can't as they're too cheap to hang on the 'headphone tree' at your local audio store.
18.12.04
14.12.04
Midnight Blue - new webcomic strip
Today's Earworm- VAST, Winter in my heart
"You spin me right round baby,.."
I smile because I'm the only one who knows what's going on
Seriously though I'm realising I need to slow down and explain things. I'll address that in the coming strips.
I'm allergic to copious exposition but it seems to be fairer to readers.
"You spin me right round baby,.."
I smile because I'm the only one who knows what's going on
Seriously though I'm realising I need to slow down and explain things. I'll address that in the coming strips.
I'm allergic to copious exposition but it seems to be fairer to readers.
13.12.04
Forum
Today's Earworm- everything by VAST
Updated phpbb to address some security issues.
Also, if you haven't done so already, check out /usr/bin/w00t because it is really, really funny at times.
Updated phpbb to address some security issues.
Also, if you haven't done so already, check out /usr/bin/w00t because it is really, really funny at times.
10.12.04
Down Again
Today's Earworm- America, F**K Yeah - Team America Soundtrack
And today my site is down and blogger is up and accepting posts. Joyous.
I think I need to review my hosting choices. As well as my job and education choices.
And today my site is down and blogger is up and accepting posts. Joyous.
I think I need to review my hosting choices. As well as my job and education choices.
8.12.04
Get out of my space.
Today's Earworm-Tiny Machine - The Darling Buds
Batman Begins
Dr Who
I'm having a extreme personal space day. I can't concentrate with all the noise out here. I kind of feel like punching somebody.
I think that if someone offered me a job, with no raise, but an office with a lockable door, I'd be out of here so fast it wouldn't be funny.
I hate cubes. Its even more of a joke when you even have to share your cube. What exactly do those dividers keep out, anyway?
PS anyone with real offices want to hire a Unix/OSX/Linux/php/MySql geek ?
PPS Here's a link to Paul Graham's essay on 'Great Hackers'. Look for the section on cubicles. Not suggesting I am a great hacker. I am suggesting my brain is in a blender.
PPPS If you don't stop bouncing that ping pong ball on your desk, I am going to make you EAT it!
PPPPS STFU! an oldie but a classic.
Batman Begins
Dr Who
I'm having a extreme personal space day. I can't concentrate with all the noise out here. I kind of feel like punching somebody.
I think that if someone offered me a job, with no raise, but an office with a lockable door, I'd be out of here so fast it wouldn't be funny.
I hate cubes. Its even more of a joke when you even have to share your cube. What exactly do those dividers keep out, anyway?
PS anyone with real offices want to hire a Unix/OSX/Linux/php/MySql geek ?
PPS Here's a link to Paul Graham's essay on 'Great Hackers'. Look for the section on cubicles. Not suggesting I am a great hacker. I am suggesting my brain is in a blender.
PPPS If you don't stop bouncing that ping pong ball on your desk, I am going to make you EAT it!
PPPPS STFU! an oldie but a classic.
19.11.04
Traitorous
Creative Zen Micro (5GB, citrus orange) review - Creative Zen Micro (5GB, citrus orange) Intro - MP3 players - CNET Reviews
Wow, I actually kind of like the sound of these. They have a removable battery and they come in *purple*.
I feel conflicted. But I don't know what the UI is like and I already carry around an iPod 15G in a 'Vamp'. And this this won't talk to Macchiato the iBook.
Wow, I actually kind of like the sound of these. They have a removable battery and they come in *purple*.
I feel conflicted. But I don't know what the UI is like and I already carry around an iPod 15G in a 'Vamp'. And this this won't talk to Macchiato the iBook.
18.11.04
29.10.04
iPod Inferiority Complex
iPod Socks are obviously designed for those insecure iPods that felt they weren't big enough in pants. *rimshot*
Actually they look quite practical, given normal iPod usage.
On an introspective note, I caught myself in another bad habit today. Whenever anyone acts weird around me, I blame myself and start wondering what vague social contract I've unknowingly violated. You can imagine what this does to someone who's a bit obsessive and over-analtytical. My brain starts to feel like an overclocked Athlon running vorpal fork bunnies . So its on my list of reactions to question - as in, how is this my problem? Have I noticed it? Sure. Could my reaction reflect reality? Perhaps, but worst case scenario nobody would obsess about my screwups the way I do.
Is it entirely possible they're acting funny because I've just caught them while they were having a pornographic daydream about sales figures or a new T4 connection? Yeah, why not.
Got enough *actual* worries without coming up with new ones. In all probability its something so far from being my problem that the light emanating from my *actual* problems may reach their galaxy in a hundred years or so.
In progress is a 1500 Mbps ADSL connection, Internode and Telstra willing. I can't see us getting by without broadband much longer. And Cupofzen wants EXTREEEM broadband so he can brag on Xbox World. But hey, maybe we need the bandwidth if he's going to be on Xbox Live in his free time and I want to download isos and maybe Other Things if certain fruity computer companies get off their duff. I suspect Australia will be getting iTMS right after Easter Island.
Actually they look quite practical, given normal iPod usage.
On an introspective note, I caught myself in another bad habit today. Whenever anyone acts weird around me, I blame myself and start wondering what vague social contract I've unknowingly violated. You can imagine what this does to someone who's a bit obsessive and over-analtytical. My brain starts to feel like an overclocked Athlon running vorpal fork bunnies . So its on my list of reactions to question - as in, how is this my problem? Have I noticed it? Sure. Could my reaction reflect reality? Perhaps, but worst case scenario nobody would obsess about my screwups the way I do.
Is it entirely possible they're acting funny because I've just caught them while they were having a pornographic daydream about sales figures or a new T4 connection? Yeah, why not.
Got enough *actual* worries without coming up with new ones. In all probability its something so far from being my problem that the light emanating from my *actual* problems may reach their galaxy in a hundred years or so.
In progress is a 1500 Mbps ADSL connection, Internode and Telstra willing. I can't see us getting by without broadband much longer. And Cupofzen wants EXTREEEM broadband so he can brag on Xbox World. But hey, maybe we need the bandwidth if he's going to be on Xbox Live in his free time and I want to download isos and maybe Other Things if certain fruity computer companies get off their duff. I suspect Australia will be getting iTMS right after Easter Island.
7.10.04
Weird Weather Thursday
Today's Earworm- Blue Monday, New Order
Strange warm, muggy andd dark weather in the 'borg. There's some suspicious clouds about, and it's windy.
Strangely, I've noticed I've been enjoying human contact the past couple of days, on the whole. I think its because I'm not at my wits end with customer service any more. I feel less like this -
With apologies to Empire and Shaun Of The Dead
I was ground down to a fine paste of rage and intolerance by varying kinds of zombie-like stupidity. Now that I don't have to pick up a phone anymore it feels like the wounds are healing and my 'sanity tank' is topping back up. I'm busy (lets just say I might have to start wearing a name tag when I go home) but its not the kind of stress that makes me want to climb a tower and pick off the shambling hordes. Yet.
I'll be posting some new strips for Midnight Blue before the weekend. Really.
6.10.04
Starbucks wifi rolls out in Australia
Starbucks Home
It looks like Starbucks just rolled out wireless. Heh maybe those cool services like music downloads and so forth will eventually cross over to this time zone too.
It's through Telstra, and not free (unfortunately) but they have deployed at virtually every Starbucks I know of locally.
It looks like Starbucks just rolled out wireless. Heh maybe those cool services like music downloads and so forth will eventually cross over to this time zone too.
It's through Telstra, and not free (unfortunately) but they have deployed at virtually every Starbucks I know of locally.
5.10.04
Found - my ideal laptop bag
Slingpack that carrys a laptop | The Buzz by: TOM BIHN
This is perfect as far as I can tell. Unless its a bit big or something.
Today's Earworm - 'Special Ones - George'
This is perfect as far as I can tell. Unless its a bit big or something.
Today's Earworm - 'Special Ones - George'
1.10.04
30.9.04
Alexa on related sites for midnightblue.net
Related Info for: midnightblue.net/
Oooook. Macquake I can understand. Pickling? That's surreal.
I also notice some ooooold contact details on there. Despite the page being current. Hmm.
Oooook. Macquake I can understand. Pickling? That's surreal.
I also notice some ooooold contact details on there. Despite the page being current. Hmm.
29.9.04
Yes, this is what Mac users do whilst waiting for Sims 2 to come to their platform
Penny Arcade
Being platform agnostic (OSX, XP, Linux... hey, all my OS's have an 'x'!) I get to poke fun at both camps.
Being platform agnostic (OSX, XP, Linux... hey, all my OS's have an 'x'!) I get to poke fun at both camps.
On Writing
Today's Earworm- Plastic Loveless Letter, Magic Dirt
Pilots *suck*.
It's hard to write jokes, when most the jokes you can come up with are character based and nobody knows your characters yet. Humour in absurdity is great, except when you're still explaining what reality your characters inhabit.
The reality of the situation is that I have to accept I won't be 100% happy with most (all?) of the strips I upload, and until the end of 'Disposable Girl' they'll be a bit exposition heavy. That's the price I pay for not starting a strip with a couple of gamers on a couch, or a bunch of college students. Not that there's anything wrong with that. :)
If I tried to get it perfect, I'd be stressed out and stalled again in another hiatus, and I sure as hell don't want that.
Pilots *suck*.
It's hard to write jokes, when most the jokes you can come up with are character based and nobody knows your characters yet. Humour in absurdity is great, except when you're still explaining what reality your characters inhabit.
The reality of the situation is that I have to accept I won't be 100% happy with most (all?) of the strips I upload, and until the end of 'Disposable Girl' they'll be a bit exposition heavy. That's the price I pay for not starting a strip with a couple of gamers on a couch, or a bunch of college students. Not that there's anything wrong with that. :)
If I tried to get it perfect, I'd be stressed out and stalled again in another hiatus, and I sure as hell don't want that.
28.9.04
Random stuff
Today's Earworm- Under The Milky Way, The Church
Feeling sort of melancholic. Still a bit sleep-deprived despite catching up last night.
Feeling sort of melancholic. Still a bit sleep-deprived despite catching up last night.
shiny shiny: Gadgets
shiny shiny: Gadgets
This site rocks. Yes, tiny USB keys, Hello Kitty accessories, and learning that women spend more on gadgets that shoes IS important to me.
This site rocks. Yes, tiny USB keys, Hello Kitty accessories, and learning that women spend more on gadgets that shoes IS important to me.
27.9.04
Archive pt 2
And the archive page is done. Pretty much. There's some more stuff I'm going to do but the guts of it is complete.
I realised I was going about it in pretty much the wrong way and re-wrote it over lunch :)
I realised I was going about it in pretty much the wrong way and re-wrote it over lunch :)
Archives
I'm currently working on an archive page for Midnight Blue. Just a simple Php/MySQL thing. Trying to optimise my code so it doesn't take so long to load.
Even at only 10 strips its started to become a pest to navigate around. Wondering if this is overkill though.
I'd also better remember to dynamically generate the last story arc's page listing.
Even at only 10 strips its started to become a pest to navigate around. Wondering if this is overkill though.
I'd also better remember to dynamically generate the last story arc's page listing.
26.9.04
Chrome Fireball Laptop Bag
It seems I'm forever in search of the Perfect Laptop Bag. My STM alley is a nice bag, but hauling any laptop on one shoulder (even a 12" iBook, it seems), charger, books, girl stuff contributes to my shoulder tendonitis. I bought a Targus Matrix backpack and while it is quite ergonomic it is just too honking big. It probably looks fine on a well-built guy, but it's bigger than my whole torso. There's no way to cinch down the excess storage space to make the bag smaller, either.
I guess my best option is some sort of slimline convertable laptop bag. I think I saw one online once that was cream with purple trim, but extensive Googling suggests I may have just imagined it.
And then I found a reference to the Chrome Fireball laptop bag. It is metallic red. It's perfect. But it turns out its not made anymore. They make one close called the Sputnik but it's silver, which is cool but not worth ordering overseas for.
I guess my best option is some sort of slimline convertable laptop bag. I think I saw one online once that was cream with purple trim, but extensive Googling suggests I may have just imagined it.
And then I found a reference to the Chrome Fireball laptop bag. It is metallic red. It's perfect. But it turns out its not made anymore. They make one close called the Sputnik but it's silver, which is cool but not worth ordering overseas for.
24.9.04
Midnight Blue - new webcomic strip
There's a new strip up now... enjoy. More rambling later. Kris sleep now.
Later......
I've jumped around with styles and layout so much in the first ten strips of this web comic it looks like my very own Guest Artist Week. I'm going to try to keep things more consistent from now on.
Later......
I've jumped around with styles and layout so much in the first ten strips of this web comic it looks like my very own Guest Artist Week. I'm going to try to keep things more consistent from now on.
Waaaaaaaahh!!
"orkut is under construction.
please check back soon (="
Well great. NOW what am I going to do during the Friday Afternoon slump.
please check back soon (="
Well great. NOW what am I going to do during the Friday Afternoon slump.
22.9.04
Cute but scary
OS-tan (aka the OS girls)- Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This cracks me up. I especially like the representation of Nortons.... that AV usually ends up doing more damage than it prevents.
21.9.04
Star Wars DVDs
We got our grubby paws on these a couple of days early (good thing we
didn't pre-order, eh?) and they are indeed noice.
We only got through ANH and ESB tonight, so we have not yet witnessed
the notorious 'Anakin' scene. However - we were so stoked at finally
owning a really nice transfer of the movies that the new additions
don't bother me. There's a 'new' scene in ESB that has interesting
implications (I'll have to watch it again) and yes Boba is a big kiwi.
I feel pretty blessed lately with nice DVD versions of classic sci-fi.
We got Star Trek TOS and it looks and sounds about as good as a 40 year
old show is ever going to.
didn't pre-order, eh?) and they are indeed noice.
We only got through ANH and ESB tonight, so we have not yet witnessed
the notorious 'Anakin' scene. However - we were so stoked at finally
owning a really nice transfer of the movies that the new additions
don't bother me. There's a 'new' scene in ESB that has interesting
implications (I'll have to watch it again) and yes Boba is a big kiwi.
I feel pretty blessed lately with nice DVD versions of classic sci-fi.
We got Star Trek TOS and it looks and sounds about as good as a 40 year
old show is ever going to.
20.9.04
The light is on in the Big Blue Room
Today's song - "Pictures of you - The Cure"
It's a lovely sunny day in Melbourne, in fact bordering on being too warm. I went for a walk.
17.9.04
Supply And Demand
There are no freakin Nurolasts anywhere in Melbourne. I looked.
When I'm in Cairns, I'm fricking *stockpiling* them.
The house is almost wire-free. If you're trying to load a wlan card onto Win98, sometimes it wants an XP version of ndis.vxd. I don't know why I didn't think of that immediately when installing an allegedly Win98-compatible card, as it's perfectly obvious >:( .
8.9.04
2.9.04
Spiders, Viruses
Gradually porting the old Blogs over.... found it's just easiest to cut and paste the HTML than try to convert the individual .php files.
It'l be an early one tonight. The sneezing has been pretty constant all afternoon.
I've gotten mildly obsessed with search engine spiders and the other wildlife trawling my site.
24.2.04
Yearly Resolutions
It's not new year, so it's safe to make resolutions.
I will :
1) Eventually junk every computer I have that doesn't support USB *and* booting from a CD. (I spent the weekend wrestling with my nearly 10-year old proxy server, with faulty floppys/drives thrown in to make things More Interesting. Never again.)
2) Check that *individual* parts work with $OSofChoice, never mind the bloody chipset. (FYI - Belkin wifi cards don't work terribly easily with Linux. Not even when you compile the drivers.)
3) Upgrade one thing at a time. (At one point, the network was running off my iBook :( )
4) Update this webcomic at least weekly.
5) Finish studying for at least my latest cert ( CCNA )
6) Make an effort to eat properly
I will not :
1) Put off until tomorrow what can be done today.
2) Put of for six months what *should* have been done today.
3) Drink too much caffeine and work myself into a foaming lather of stress.
4) Sweat the small stuff.
5) Ignore the big stuff.
6) Substitute Pringles for meals.
7) Drink Cherry Coke for breakfast.
I will :
1) Eventually junk every computer I have that doesn't support USB *and* booting from a CD. (I spent the weekend wrestling with my nearly 10-year old proxy server, with faulty floppys/drives thrown in to make things More Interesting. Never again.)
2) Check that *individual* parts work with $OSofChoice, never mind the bloody chipset. (FYI - Belkin wifi cards don't work terribly easily with Linux. Not even when you compile the drivers.)
3) Upgrade one thing at a time. (At one point, the network was running off my iBook :( )
4) Update this webcomic at least weekly.
5) Finish studying for at least my latest cert ( CCNA )
6) Make an effort to eat properly
I will not :
1) Put off until tomorrow what can be done today.
2) Put of for six months what *should* have been done today.
3) Drink too much caffeine and work myself into a foaming lather of stress.
4) Sweat the small stuff.
5) Ignore the big stuff.
6) Substitute Pringles for meals.
7) Drink Cherry Coke for breakfast.
19.2.04
Frozen Bubble
Playing Frozen Bubble on my iBook... oh wait I just remembered, there's supposed to be a webcomic on this site.
We've been on unannounced hiatus for a while, due to the demands of work, family... and frankly, sleep.
But lots of things are going on behind the scenes. A site upgrade using PHP and MySQL is coming. A new strip should be up in the next couple of days.
12.1.04
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